Collocating device and the method of using same



g- 1952 H. JOHNSON ,5

COLLOCATING DEVICE AND THE METHOD OF. USING SAME Filed 001;. 22, 1949 nventor 3 Here/(Jail) Job/750m Patented Aug. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES ATENT orFics COLLOCATING DEVICE AND THE METHOD OF USING SAME Hezekiah Johnson, Stratford, Conn.

Application October 22, 1949, Serial No. 122,991

The present invention relates to a collocating device and to the method of using the same, particularly in wall papering andthe like.

It has become fashionable in the wall papering art, in cases where the electrical outlet such as a switch or plug-in receptacle is positioned on the wall in the papered surface, to cover the face plate of the electrical outlet with the paper used in covering the adjacent wall and to match the designs in the paper on the face plate with that of the wall so that the face plate is substantially indiscernible.

Heretofore in endeavoring to do this, it has been primarily a cut and try proposition which has been tedious and time consuming and with uncertain results.

The present invention provides a novel collocating device and the method of using the same whereby the plate may be covered quickly and easily with the assurance that the design on the paper on the plate will match with the design on the wall paper adjacent the plate.

In accomplishin this result a novel collocating device is provided which is adapted to be secured over the electrical outlet. This is preferably accomplished by locating means threaded into the tapped openings for the screws which fasten the plate thereto so that it has a predetermined relation therewith. Reference point indicators on the device are set to predetermined reference points in the pattern of the wall paper adjacent the outlet and the indicators fixed in adjusted position. The collocating device is then removed and placed on a piece of wall paper of the same design, with the indicators located at the corresponding reference points on the design. The locating means are then operated to mark the spots corresponding to the screw holes in the face plate and the paper around the collocatingdevice is torn,.cut out or otherwise severed with a suflicient size to cover the face plate. The paper and plate are pasted or otherwise prepared and rendered adhesive and the paper is located on the face plate by the usual screws for the face plate passing through the marks on the paper andinto the openings in the face plate and is then adhered thereto in proper relation.

This definitely aligns the design on the face plate with respect to the apertures therein through which the fastening screws pass. into the outlet in the wall. After the paper has been thoroughly pressed into firm engagement with the surface of the plate, it is provided with the required opening'to receive the switch or outlet 8 Claims. (Cl. 216--62) receptacle and the plate is then secured in position on the wall by the fastening means in proper alignment with the design on the wall. With this device and by this method it will be seen that the face plates can be quickly and accurately covered without the tedious cut and try operations heretofore used and, inasmuch as the design is located by means of fixed elements'in the wall, its location is always reliable and accurate.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thespecification and claims when considered in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a collocating device in position on a wall. f

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a covered outlet'p late in position.

The collocating device of the present invention comprises a housing 10 having end walls H and a top wall or plate 12 provided with a plurality of inwardly projecting bosses I3 provided with a bore l4 therethrough which is enlarged at l5.

In the present herein illustrated form of the invention three bosses are provided. The two end bosses are located so as to overlie the usual tapped openings H5 in the outlet bracket ll of an electrical outlet box l8 for receiving screws l8a for securing a face plate [8b thereto. The outlet is herein illustrated as a switch box with push buttons 19 and 20' which project through openings in the face plate. The center boss [3 is located in position to overlie the center fastening member for the face plate in devices in which a pair, of electrical outlet connectors are employed. The bore [4 in each of the bosses provides a bearing for a sliding locating plunger 2|. While the housing maybe mounted in any manner, in the illustrated form of the invention, I use the locating plungers for this purpose'by providing each plunger at its inner'end with threads 2 la. This end is adapted to be threaded into the tapped openings I6 to mount the device to the wall in position over the outlet. The outer end of the plunger is provided with an enlarged kerfed head 2!!) slidably received in the bore l5 and adapted. to receive a screw driver blade in mounting the device. Disposed between the bottom of bore I5 and the head H1) is a coiled spring 22 or other resilient means normally urging the" plunger to a retracted position, as shown in the center boss in Fig. 2, in which a stop nut 23, jammed on the threaded end 2m, engages the bottom of the boss.

After the device is fixed to the outlet its position with respect to the design on the wall paper adjacent the outlet is determined. This is accomplished by means of reference point indicators 24 mounted to project from the end walls II. In the illustrated form of the invention the indicators are pivoted on the threaded bolt 25 to project through slots 26. The bolt 25 has a knurled fingerpiece 25a and is threaded into a projection Ila on the end wall. The bolt has a clamping member 21 overlying the indicators and clamps them to the projection Ila upon turning the bolt by the fingerpiece 25a.

In operating the device the screws I81: fastening the usual face plate I8b in position are removed and the face plate separated from the outlet. The device is positioned over the outlet box with the two end plungers moved into threaded relation with the tapped openings IS in the outlet bracket IT. This clamps the device securely to the wall in predetermined relation to the adjacent surfaces thereof which have been covered with the wall paper. The' reference point indicators are then adjusted to predetermined points on the wall paper onthe, adjacent wall surfaces as shown in Fig. 1 and clamped in position by turning the fingerpieces, 25a. After the indicators are secured the device is removed from the wall and is located on a similar piece of wall paper in the same relationship that it had on the wall by locating the reference point indicators on similar portions of the design on the paper. The plungers ar pushed down so that the ends thereof, which are pointed as shown in Fig. 2, pierce the paper and provide the required marking on the paper. The device is removed and the usual face plate is positioned under the paper with the usual fastening screws which fasten the face plate to the member I-l. passing through the apertures in the paper formed by the plungers and intoth openings in the'face plate to accurately locate the paper thereon after which the paper is severed about the plate in sufficient size to completely cover the. plate. The paper is removed and-the engaging faces of th face plate and paper rendered adhesive. The paper is then reassembled with the face plate, and adhered thereto in proper relation and the edges are folded under :to cover the plate. I With the paper secured in position on the plate the required apertures in the center of the plate for the push buttons or other electrical devices can be readily and accurately formed. The plate may then be mounted ,on the wall by means of the usual fastening means. Since these fastening means go into the same threaded apertures by which the collocatin device was mounted on the wall, it will be apparent that the design determined by the collocating device and applied to the face plate will be predetermined relation to the design on the adjacent wall as shown in Fig. 3.

In cases where the electrical outlet has mounted therein a pair of plug receiving receptacles and the face plate, is held in position by a center screw, the process is the same with the exception that the center plunger is threaded into the usual center aperture in th bracket between the receptacles and secures the collocating device to the Wall and is used as the locating means.

While the present invention has been described in connection with the covering of electrical outlet face platesto match surrounding wall paper, it is to be understood that it can be employed for other purposes where it is desired to locate a particular portion with respect to an adjacent portion or device.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A collocating device for use in covering electrical outlet face plates with wall paper so as to match the pattern of the wall paperon the wall surface surrounding the face plate, said face plate being mounted to threaded openings in the outlet box to overlie the wall surface, comprising an outlet-covering top plate having dependent side walls engaging and supporting said top plate on said wall surface, said top plate having spaced apertures therein to overlie said threaded openings in said outlet box; screws positioned in said apertures and threaded into said openings to secure the top plate in overlying relation with the outlet box; clampmeans adjacent each end of the top plate; and reference-point indicators adjustably carried by the clamp means to project from the top plate and settable to indicate a predetermined point in the pattern of the wall paper. v

2. A collocating device for use in covering elec trical outlet face plates with wall paper so as to match the pattern of the. wall paper on the wall surface surrounding the face plate, said face plate being mounted to threaded openingsv in the outlet box to overlie the wall surface comprising a rectangular outlet-covering top plate having dependent side walls engaging and supporting said top plate on said wall surface, said top plate having spaced apertures therein to overlie said threaded openings in said outlet box; screws mounted in said apertures and threaded into said openings to secure the top plate in overlying relation with the outlet box; clamp means adjacent each end of, the top plate; and reference-point indicator arms adjustably carried by the clamp means to project beyond the ends of the top plate and settable to indicate a predetermined point in th pattern of the- Wall paper, said arms having their clamped ends located above the wall engaging portions of the side walls and having a bend intermediate the ends thereof in the direction of the wall surface to locate the indicating ends thereof adjacent said .wall surface.

3. A collocating device comprising a housing having elongate bearings therein; a plurality of plungers slidably mounted in the bearings, said plungers having threaded securing means at the inner ends thereof whereby the housing is mounted thereby on a support; reference point indicators adjustablycarried by the housing; and means holding the indicators in adjusted position.

e. A collocating device comprising a housing; locating means slidably mounted in the housing; means yieldably urging the locating means to retracted position, said locating means having threaded means thereon to secure the housing to a support when said locating means are moved out of retracted position; reference point indicators projecting from and adjustably carried by the housing; and means clamping the indicators in adjusted position.

5. A collocating device comprising a housing having an inwardly projecting boss provided with a bore; locatingmeans slidably mounted in the bore; means yieldably urging the locating means to retracted position, said locating means having means thereon to secure th housing to a support when said locating means is movedinwardly from th retracted position; and reference point indicators projecting from and adjustably carried by the housing.

6. A collocating device comprising a housing having'an inwardly projecting boss provided with a bore; locating means slidably mounted in the bore, said bore having an enlarged portion; yieldable means mounted in the enlarged bore and urging the locating means to retracted position, said locating means having threaded means thereon to secure the housing to a support when said locating means is out of retracted position; and reference point indicators adjustably carried by the housing.

7. The method of covering a face plate for an electrical outlet with wall paper to align the design thereon with the design in the paper on the adjacent wall comprising removing the face plate from the outlet; locating and mounting a collocating device over the outlet; adjusting reference point indicators on the collocating device to predetermined reference points on the wall paper on the wall adjacent the outlet; removing the collocating device and placing the same on a piece of wall paper of a design similar to that on the wall adjacent the outlet with the reference point indicators located on similar reference points on the paper; marking the paper with theposition of the mounting means for the collocating, device; severing sufiicient paper around the collocating device to cover the face plate; securing the'severed paper to the face plate in accordance with the marking thereon by the collocating device; and replacing the face plate on the outlet.

8. The method of covering a face plate for an electrical outlet with wall paper to align the design thereon with the design in the paper on the adjacent wall comprising removing the face plate and threaded fastening means therefor from the electrical outlet bracket; threading locating devices on a collocating device into tapped openings for the plate fastening means on the outlet bracket to secure the device thereto; adjusting the reference point indicators to predetermined reference points on the wall paper on the Wall adjacent the outlet; removing the oollocating device and placing the same on a piece of wall paper having a design similar to that on the wall adjacent the outlet with the reference point indicators located on similar reference points on the paper; marking the paper by the locating devices with the position of th collocating device and severing the paper around the collocating device in sufiicient amount to cover the plate; positioning the removed paper on the face plate by passing the fastening means therefor through the mark ing thereon and adhesively securing the paper to the plate; and replacing th face plate on the outlet.

HEZEKIAH JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

